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Iran News Round Up May 9, 2013

A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by AEI Critical Threats Project Iran Analyst Will Fulton. To receive this daily newsletter, please subscribe online.

(E) = Article in English

Politics

243 individuals have registered﻿ for presidential candidacy qualification in the past three days. Today's most prominent reigstered candidates: Former Intelligence Minister and current Assembly of Experts member Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Fallahian and former Fars province Governor Ruhollah Ahmad Zadeh. Fallahian is subject to international arrest warrants for the 1994 Buenos Aires Jewish center bombing and the 1997 Mykonos Restaurant assassinations.

The Principlist Coalition of Five has nominated﻿ Vice-Chairman of Parliament Hojjat al-Eslam Mohammad Hassan Abu Torabi Fard to become the coalition's official candidate. He will officially submit his candidacy application tomorrow.

2+1 Coalition member Gholam Ali Haddad Adel announced, "...all three of us [Velayati, Ghlabif, Haddad-Adel] will register. It is not clear exactly when we will announce the result, but this announcement will not come before the Guardian Council's review."

Former Intelligence Minister Hojjat al-Eslam Ali Yunesi said﻿ that former presidents Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami will "certainly not become candidates."

Head of the Guardian Council Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said, "The people should pay attention in the presidential elections and choose an individual who, in addition to [having] management [experience] and the necessary qualifications, is not afraid of the enemies' threats and does not imagine negotiations with the enemies."

The Office of the Supreme Leader's Seminary Communications Deputy Hojjat al-eslam Ahmad Moravi said﻿, "Today, the clergy's influence has become global and the Shi'a clergy, whose symbol is the vali-ye faqih, and has a global audience."

Head of Iran's General Inspectorate Organization Hojjat al-Eslam Mostafa Pour Mohammadi stated﻿, "We must definitely act intelligently and avoid hysteria in negotiations. [We must not] pursue Islamophobia and Iranophobia. America is the enemy and we must proceed with understanding the hostility with America. If there is a place to skirt sanctions then we must do this; this does not mean, though, that we should have a friction theory regarding the enemy and we must avoid war." He added,"...sanctions are very difficult, we must certainly break the sanctions and manage them. If we can bring down America from a recalcitrant position then it is in our interest, although [we must view] America as the enemy."

Presidential candidate and Iranian Hezbollah Secretary General Ayatollah Mohammad Bagher Kharrazi said﻿, "Our country's borders begin in China and end in Africa. These are the great Persian Islamic borders. We hope to extend Iran's borders [to that point]."

Head of the Islamic Propaganda Agency Hojjat al-Eslam Mehdi Khamoushi said﻿, "The message of the Islamic Iranian revolution is borderless and will encompass the world." He added, "The ideals of of the late Imam [Khomeini] and the guidelines of the Supreme Leader caused the revolution to be exported all over the world and encompassed the world of Islam."

Military and Security

Artesh Navy Commander Admiral Habibollah Sayyari met his Sudanese counterpart in Tehran, during which he said﻿, "Unity and cooperation between Iran and Sudan is very effective against the common enemy and Global Arrogance, and in this case we can make all of them exit the field." He added, "With attention to Iran's strategic position in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and northern Indian Ocean, and also Sudan's strategic situation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, we can have very close relations and vast cooperation to establish security in the region."

Photo of the Day

Head of the Basij Organization BG Mohammad Reza Naghdi attends﻿ the 16th Celebration of Exemplary, Innovative, and Creative Basij Students Festival.